â€˘ Improved network startups and various fixes
â€˘ Added internal HDD support (HDL format)
â€˘ Added the ability to choose the default menu (USB, NET, HDD games)
â€˘ Added the ability to use a valid disc ID for online games
â€˘ Added a fix for modchip freezing (maybe not all modchips)
â€˘ Many new game compatibility fixes
â€˘ Added IGR (In Game Reset) with a disable per game option
â€˘ Added Alphabetical Sorting
â€˘ Changed Settings categories
â€˘ Added page scrolling (R1/L1)
â€˘ Added support for user language files
â€˘ Network support added for PS3
â€˘ Zipped Theme support
â€˘ Added PCMCIA support for the 18K

Open PS2 Loader is a 100% open source game loader compatible with
USB Advance/Extreme game format. It's more compatible and it should work without ps2load or change DNASXXX.IMG tricks.

Open PS2 Loader also is developed continuously and anyone can contribute improvements to the project.

The main objective is to support both the PS2 and the PS3 with backward compatibility.

How to use:

First, you need an USB device compatible with PS2/PS3 formatted in FAT32 (only if you want to load games from USB).

For using games directly from USB, game parts file must be perfectly
defragmented, either file by file, either by whole drive.

You can use this great software, Power Defragmenter:
http://my.opera.com/rejzor/blog/power-defragmenter-3-0-released

For loading games by SMB protocol you need to share a folder called PS2SMB (it can be changed) make sure that it has permissions for anyone to access. The games have to be in USB Advance/Extreme format.

There are some programs
for converting games to this format. Open PS2 Loader includes an command line tool for that purpose called iso2usbld. Other utilities are: USBUtil 2.0, USB Extreme installer or USB Insane.

In PS2 you can use any of the existing methods for loading an executable ELF.

In PS3 you need to have an original SwapMagic 3.6+ or 3.8 (at the moment there aren't any other option).

The steps for loading Open PS2 Loader in a PS3 are:

1. Rename OpenPS2LD.ELF to SMBOOT0.ELF
2. Make a folder in root of USB device called SWAPMAGIC and copy SMBOOT0.ELF to it.
3. Launch SwapMagic in PS3 and press UP+L1 then Open PS2 Loader should start.

I just got around to using Openps2loader.7 for the first time on my 80gb u.s edition ps3 (mgs4 bundle). I don't understand what the internal HDD option is for? How do I connect my ps2 hdd (formatted with hdadvance) to my ps3? I see in the network settings option the ps2 side as well as the pc side... Do I have to connect my IDE PS2 hdd to my pc? I'm guessing then I wouldnt have to reinstall every game on a usb external?

My bad aries and other mods, I keep thinking this is a ps3 prog but forget its a ps2 prog being ran with ps2 emulation.

So I guess that with the ps3 network feature, there is no more movie lag or gamelag, since the problem was that playing games from usb was at usb 1.1 speeds right?

Can anyone confirm if games are full speed now running over LAN, I been waiting to play ICO a long time now. Thanks

Unfortunately, that's not the case here. The network speed it can achieve is the same the ps2 could. Looks like Sony is emulating this as well, which mean the LAN connection is not that fast. I know for a fact that in this release network speeds are much better and most games work without lags. Much more better thant USB, that's for sure.

Well, I can confirm that it was the Kingston stick that was giving me trouble. I tried a generic stick and it worked first time with the same files. Now I am having trouble with the network loading screen, it appears that the loader cannot see the smb share. I suspect it's either a port issue or the fact I have several shares which are quite large and it's scanning all of them (?) for available games.

I'm having trouble launching the SMBOOT0.ELF file. I boot into swap magic and then press UP+L1, the usb pendrive flashes, but then nothing happens. It's a kingston branded USB drive, i read that they tend not to work so well with PS2 homebrew? I'll try another brand just in case.

wow, this networked gameloader sounds fun It's a shame, the PS3 has so much restrictions.

Originally Posted by livpool

how did the people who made swapdisc manage to get the ps2 to read it like its an original? if they found a way to sign files i wonder why no one else has found it yet.

It doesn't need app-sign, but unburnable media signature (just some master-disc writer capable to write bootable disc). There are a bunch other non-sony-approved bootable app for ps2 like hdloader, action-replay... etc.

But you need not forget the whole stuff is only for PS2! Even if it's work on ps3 too.